The Ancient Chronicles of Rome

Introduction

The story of ancient Rome is one of the most captivating and consequential in human history. From its mythical founding on the banks of the Tiber River to the fall of the Western Empire over a thousand years later, Rome left an indelible mark on the world. Its influence reverberates through the art, architecture, law, language, literature, and institutions of the modern West. To understand our present, we must first unravel the complex threads of our past, and all roads lead to Rome.

This book chronicles the remarkable trajectory of Roman civilization. It traces Rome's dramatic transformation from a humble village to the greatest power the ancient world had ever seen, an empire that at its height stretched from Britain to Babylon, encompassing the entire Mediterranean and much of continental Europe. The sheer scale and longevity of Rome's dominance has few parallels.

But Rome's story is not one of a linear rise to glory. It is a tumultuous, twisting saga of brilliant triumphs and shattering defeats, of visionaries and villains, of staggering cruelty and startling compassion. The Roman Republic, with its delicate balance of executive magistrates, a sovereign Senate, and an authoritative popular assembly, laid a foundation for modern representative government. Yet this Republic eventually succumbed to civil war and tyranny, giving birth to the Roman Empire.

Under the Caesars, Rome reached the zenith of its power and prestige, ushering in the Pax Romana, an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity. Monumental feats of engineering, like the Colosseum and Pantheon, rose in the imperial capital, while the provinces basked in the security and stability brought by Roman law and military might. Latin became the common tongue of the Western empire, and a uniquely Roman culture spread from the Sahara to the highlands of Scotland.

But the imperial edifice eventually crumbled under a confluence of internal decay, barbarian invasions, economic turmoil, and religious upheaval. The fall of the Western empire marked the transition from antiquity to the Middle Ages. Yet one half of the Roman world endured. The Eastern empire, known to history as Byzantium, would preserve and build upon the classical heritage of Rome for another thousand years from its capital of Constantinople.

This book explores the full sweep and spectacle of Roman history. It aims to weave political, military, social, and cultural developments into a cohesive tapestry while remaining true to the historical record. By combining an engaging narrative with rigorous scholarship, it seeks to make the lived experience of the Romans accessible to a modern audience.

The story of Rome continues to captivate because it is, at its core, the story of humanity—our noblest aspirations and darkest impulses, our capacity for both breathtaking achievement and heartbreaking failure. In the rise and fall of an eternal city, we see our own struggles and triumphs, and to walk the ancient stones of the Forum is to map the vast landscape of the human spirit.

The Mythical Origins of Rome

The origins of Rome are shrouded in legend and myth. The most famous tale is that of Romulus and Remus, twin brothers born to Rhea Silvia, daughter of Numitor, the rightful king of Alba Longa. Rhea Silvia was a Vestal Virgin, but Mars, the god of war, fathered her children. When Numitor's brother Amulius discovered the twins, he viewed them as a threat to his usurped throne. Amulius ordered the infants drowned in the Tiber River.

However, fate intervened. The river-god Tiberinus took pity on the brothers and washed their cradle ashore at the base of the Palatine Hill. There, a she-wolf named Lupa discovered the crying babes and suckled them. Shortly thereafter, a shepherd named Faustulus found the twins and brought them home to his wife Acca Larentia. The couple raised Romulus and Remus as their own among the community of shepherds on the Palatine Hill.

As the brothers grew to manhood, they became leaders among the shepherd folk. Their natural nobility shone through despite their humble upbringing. When they learned the truth of their royal birth and Amulius' treachery, Romulus and Remus vowed revenge. With the help of their loyal band of shepherds, the twins stormed Alba Longa. They slew the false king Amulius and restored their grandfather Numitor to the throne.

Remus and Romulus and the mythical Wolf who raised them

But Romulus and Remus were not content to remain in Alba Longa. They set out with their followers to found a new city, a place where they could rule as kings. The brothers chose a site on the banks of the Tiber, but a bitter argument erupted over the city's exact location. Romulus favored the Palatine Hill, while Remus preferred the Aventine. To settle the dispute, they agreed to seek a sign from the gods. Each took his position and waited for an augury.

Remus saw six vultures, but Romulus topped him with twelve. Romulus immediately began ploughing a furrow to mark the boundaries of his city. In a rage, Remus leaped over this symbolic wall, mocking his brother's handiwork. In the ensuing scuffle, Romulus struck Remus dead. With his brother's blood consecrating the foundations, Romulus became the sole ruler of the new city, which he named Rome after himself.

Romulus soon realized that his city lacked people, particularly women. To solve this problem, he declared Rome a sanctuary for fugitives, exiles, runaway slaves, and all manner of outcasts. While this swelled the city's male population, there remained a shortage of marriageable women. Romulus resorted to subterfuge. He invited the neighboring Sabines to a festival honoring Neptune Equester. At the height of the celebrations, Romulus gave a signal and the Romans seized the young Sabine women, carrying them off to become their wives.

Outraged, the Sabines marched on Rome, led by their king Titus Tatius. The ensuing war was fierce and bloody, until the abducted Sabine women bravely intervened. They rushed between the battle lines, imploring their Sabine fathers and brothers to accept their Roman husbands. Moved by this display, the two sides agreed to a truce. The Romans and Sabines joined to become one people, with Romulus and Titus Tatius ruling jointly until the latter's death.

Romulus reigned for many years, proving himself a wise and just king. One day, while reviewing his troops, Romulus was enveloped by a sudden storm cloud. When it dissipated, the king had vanished. The people mourned until a patrician named Julius Proculus claimed Romulus had appeared to him in a vision. The king declared that he had been taken up to Olympus to dwell among the gods. Henceforth, he was to be worshipped as Quirinus, divine protector of Rome. With this, the mythic founding of Rome was complete.

While the tale of Romulus and Remus is fanciful, it held deep meaning for the Romans. The story embodied the qualities they most admired—courage, cunning, and an unswerving commitment to the glory of Rome. The fratricide of Remus by Romulus foreshadowed the many civil wars that would punctuate Roman history. The asylum offered to outcasts and the abduction of the Sabine women reflected Rome's remarkable ability to absorb and assimilate other peoples. Most importantly, Romulus' apotheosis as Quirinus exemplified the Romans' unshakable belief that the gods had ordained their city for greatness.

The Ancient Sabines

Archaeologically, Rome's origins are more mundane but no less fascinating. The low-lying hills flanking the Tiber had been inhabited since